Malawi
The old neonatal unit at Bwaila Maternity Hospital
Health Frontiers is currently recruiting for the position of OB-GYN Specialist and Field Representative in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Interested persons should send an inquiry and CV to Dr. Kristine Torjesen.
The Health Frontiers (HF) project in Malawi is aimed at helping to address a stark reality: Malawi has the worst maternal mortality rate of any non-conflict country in the world. We are helping at the two main maternity centers in Lilongwe which were recently built: Bwaila maternity hospital (formerly Bottom Hospital) and the Ethel Mutharika Maternity Wing at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH).
Historically, 12,000 babies have been delivered per year at Bwaila, an average of 33 per day. Typically there are two or three midwives on duty, one clinical officer, and maybe one doctor. It is not uncommon for one midwife to be dealing simultaneously with 3 or 4 deliveries. Despite the two beautiful new maternity buildings at Bwaila and KCH, the conditions for deliveries within these facilities remain poor, primarily due to woefully inadequate staffing and material resources.
The HF project in Malawi has been spearheaded by Dr. Kristine Torjesen, a former HF volunteer who while working in Malawi became aware of the desperate needs at Bwaila. HF has joined a loose association of concerned individuals and organizations in Lilongwe, called the Chitenje Maternity Trust, which has embarked on a concerted effort to reverse the tragedy at Bwaila.
HF contributions have been used to fix plumbing in the labor ward, operating theater and nursery, so the sinks and drains could function for hand washing and waste disposal post-delivery. Heaters and humidifiers were purchased for the newborn unit, where babies lay in open beds and warmth is essential, especially for preterm infants.
Secondly, we have been supporting plans by the Chitenje Trust to increase health care staff in the labor ward through salary support and professional development. This is critically needed, since many Malawian health personnel are attracted away from government jobs by the higher salaries paid in the private sector and in foreign aid organizations.
Finally, HF has its first long-term volunteer placement in Lilongwe starting in January 2011. Dr. Laura Chambers-Kersh, a family medicine physician who has completed an obstetrical fellowship, is the first Field Representative with the Malawi Project, using her skills and knowledge to help improve care in this incredibly low resource setting. Laura is also supporting quality improvement efforts at the maternity hospitals in Lilongwe, in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving patient care and patient safety. In 2006, IHI started the MaiKhanda project with the goal of reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality by 30 percent in Lilongwe, Kasungu, and Salima districts by 2012 (see link below).
For more information on the Malawi Project, contact Dr. Kristine Torjesen, or visit the following sites: